Sweetcorn Fritters

Saturday mornings get off to a slow start in this household. Maybe it's the end of the work week and the first opportunity to sleep and recharge the batteries or maybe it's the longing for childhood when sleeping in was a right of passage. Either way, some Saturday mornings end up being Saturday afternoons before the coffee has stopped percolating.

On days like today, my wife and I are looking for something to calm the children. And by children I mean the noises coming from our stomach. They're relentless and they grow louder with each passing minute. We need something easy and fairly quick. The coffee can hold off the troops, but only for so long.
The first thing I do when I wake up late is preheat the oven. Well, the first thing I do is make a pot of coffee and then I set the oven. Priorities count, even when faced with an angry mob. I pull out a few fresh plum tomatoes I picked up at the market and do a quick surgical procedure. I slice them down the middle, lengthwise, and give them a splash of olive oil and a generous amount of sea salt and cracked pepper. I let them cook for a good 30 minutes, until they're soft and sweet.

Today I decided on making corn fritters. I love making fritters for breakfast and brunch. It's a great change of pace and they have a lovely texture and an abundance of flavour. Two things I love in food.  I've made them many times before in various forms. You really can't go wrong with a breakfast fritter. It wasn't long ago that I made Sweet Apple & Carrot Fritters, or latkes, if you will. I also made them with potatoes, which is the really common form, when I made Potato Cakes with Serrano Ham.

I knew making sweetcorn fritters would be a hit in the house. They themselves are quick and loaded with flavour. They're slightly crunchy and they play well with many other tastes and ingredients. My wife loves corn so this was a no-lose situation. They're great on their own with creme fraiche or red onion salsa, but in this case I paired them with roasted tomatoes, smoked bacon and herbs. The tomatoes are quite sweet when roasted and they're soft and juicy. The corn fritters have a nice bite and work so well with the saltiness of the bacon. The dish sings to me. 

What started out as a late jump on the day ended up being a great excuse for brunch. We enjoyed our coffee and I worked on the batter for the fritters while the tomatoes were roasting away. By the time they were done, so was the rest of the meal. Not a bad Saturday after all. A hot cup of coffee, sweet and salty breakfast and my favourite company, my wife.  

This is the stuff that weekends are made of. A simple recipe, a pot of coffee and a conversation. From my table to yours, happy eating!

Sweetcorn Fritters

Serves: 2

The Goods:

• 2 plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup corn kernels, cut from cob
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp. basil, chopped
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tbsp. oil

Prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half. Place them on a baking sheet cut side up and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Roast them for 30 minutes, until tender and juicy.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour and baking powder and add in the salt and paprika, cayenne pepper and sugar. Stir together and make a well in the middle. In a second mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until. Add the egg mixture into the well, a bit at a time, whisking the entire time. Continue to whisk until mixture is smooth. 
3. In a bowl, add the corn, green onions, parsley and basil. Add the batter to the mixture and stir to combine.
4. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil. When it's hot add the batter in 2 tbsp. amounts and cook for 2 minutes,  or until golden brown. Flip over and repeat. 
5. While you're doing the fritters, cook the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove the tomatoes from the oven. 
6. Place a fritter on a plate topped by two roasted tomato halves, two slices of bacon, some parsley and the second corn fritter. Serve